“This is going to change households,” said Kelly Brown, Library Director at Nash Library.  The new 3D printer at Nash can print anything within its size constraints.

If you know the specifications for a missing part you can print a new one, said Brown.  “You can actually print parts for the 3D printer,” Sherman said.

Sherman explained that the table at the bottom of the printer rises up and the object being printed is drawn one layer at a time.  He said it feeds from a spool of eco-friendly, cornstarch-based plastic located on the back of the printer.

Now, students can submit a print job from wherever they are and pick it up later because it takes time to print, said Brown.  She said a replica of a megalodon tooth fossil was printed in roughly 3.5 hours.

Things that have already been printed include a megalodon fossil replica, a wheel that spins on an axis, and chain link that is already put together.

Brown said their goal in buying the printer was to give students experience with it and show them what kind of technology is out there today.

She said these printers are also being used in the medical field.  For example, they can print a certain part of the outer ear and attach it to children who were born without that part.

These printers can cost up to six figures for a commercial model, according to Sherman, Nash has a model that costs about $2,500.

The printer is located in Sherman’s office, but there are plans to move the printer downstairs to a room that is currently being renovated for a digital archiving facility.

The library is able to make renovations and purchase this piece of equipment after a donation from a former student, Mo Anderson, said Brown.